Monopoly and Healing
by uncontained hybrid
Summary: Who knew a game of Monopoly could be so cathartic? / Takes place during sixth year.


_For ravenclawz._

 _Shoutout to Sam (MissingMommy) for betaing this, and to Lyz (ForeverSiriuslySirius) for helping me with the plot_

* * *

Lily watched as Sirius stepped through the portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room. He'd just come out of detention for McGonagall, who had caught him attempting to hex his brother while the latter was sitting an exam.

She'd noticed that Sirius' animosity towards his younger brother had grown since the start of that school year. She knew that he'd been living with the Potters', but she didn't ask any questions about it, realising that James and Peter and Remus had grilled him enough about it, and also recognising that they had not gotten anything out of him.

Sirius usually bounced back from detentions with fresh plans for troublemaking, but tonight he looked rather melancholy. He went over to sit with the rest of his group, where Remus was scribbling out an essay for Binns, while Peter and James had their heads bent over what was presumably a plan for yet another prank.

James grinned at Sirius and made a joke about something or other. For once, not in the mood, Sirius shook his head like a sad, wet puppy and joined Lily in the corner.

"What's up, Flower?" he tried to smile.

"Don't call me that," she protested, too tired and nervous to keep up with their usual joke.

"What's the letter about?" Sirius asked.

Lily fingered the letter that had arrived that afternoon from her parents. She was glad to be back at school, considering the debacle that had happened at home over the Christmas holidays. Her dad had been drunk most of the time, as per usual, and her sister had brought over her new boyfriend, who managed to be almost as horrible as Lily's father. Scared of what was written inside, she briefly considered throwing it in the fire without bothering to see what was inside.

Unwilling to share all her burdens with Sirius just then, Lily shrugged. "Dunno. Haven't opened it yet." She twisted her knuckles together. "I just don't want to hear another lecture from Mum about getting on with my bloody sister."

Sirius reached out a hand and grabbed it. "It's a good day when your parents can get together to write something, eh?"

Lily swallowed hard. "Guess so." With shaking hands, she reached out and took the envelope from Sirius. She ripped it open and scanned its contents.

"Petunia's engaged," she murmured. "To that old walrus of a person."

"Happy news," grinned Sirius sarcastically.

"Dad says he's happy 'cause it gives him an excuse to get drunk," Lily spat. She stood up and threw the letter into the fire as if it were contaminated with some deadly disease.

Sirius sighed and put an arm around Lily's shoulders. She shrugged him off, and smiled a little.

"Have you ever played Monopoly?"

"Pureblood, remember?" Sirius responded sardonically.

"I'm gonna go get it now." Lily ran across the common room and up the stairs to her domitory. She returned in record time, clutching a red and white box.

She sat back down and ceremoniously pulled off the lid. She unfolded the board, put it down and laid out the chance and community chest cards.

"Pick a piece."

Sirius took the dog piece, chuckling to himself.

Lily just shook her head and took the car. She put it on the 'GO' position and Sirius did the same.

Lily went on to explain the rules of Monopoly, and the two began to play.

Sirius quickly got the hang of the game, buying properties and collecting rent from Lily while she was stuck in jail and protested that it was all "beginner's luck." Quite a few Muggleborn students gathered around to watch, and some placed bets on who would win.

Several hours later, the two's audience long since having gone to bed and the common room empty save for James and Peter who were desperately trying to finish their essays for History of Magic, aided by a very sleepy Remus, Sirius yelled in triumph. "And Evans spends her final pound in a tragic turn of events, having landed on Sirius' Mayfair!" He then proceeded to get up and do a victory lap around the common room while Remus muttered about the win fueling his ever-growing ego.

Lily, competitive as always and not quite above being a sore loser, flipped the board over, and half-jokingly called Sirius a ridiculous and over-competitive arsehole.

"I must say, Evans," Sirius smirked. "Monopoly does seem to have quite a cathartic effect on some of us."

"Insufferable," Remus and Lily sighed together.

Lily stretched out her tired arms, cracking her knuckles, much to Peter's discomfort.

"Winners have to pack up the game," she told Sirius.

Sirius just waved his wand lazily, and all the pieces flew neatly back into the box while Lily gaped at him.

"If it's a Muggle game, you have to pack it up the Muggle way," she decided authoritatively.

"Hate to break it to you, but I think chess was originally a Muggle game, and look what happened there," James chipped in.

Lily just shook her head at all four of them, picked up her box and marched off, calling over her shoulder to Sirius.

"Just remember that you still have that essay for History of Magic to do!"

Sirius groaned. "Help me, Moony," he whined, putting on his best puppy-dog face.

James and Peter stood up, and marched up the stairs to the dormitory, cackling in Sirius' direction.

"You're lucky I love you," Remus murmured quietly. "And I swear to Merlin, if you don't bring me a full pot of coffee tomorrow morning, I will use James' and Peter's new prank plans on your sorry, unsuspecting arse."

"Grumpy one, you are," Sirius shot back. "But I promise."

Remus nodded. "I'll also tell Lily that you cheated and pretended you don't know what Monopoly is."

Sirius smiled cheekily. "I hardly think she wants to play Monopoly with me and have it end up like the time that you taught me how to play."

* * *

 _Written for Quidditch League, by Beater 2 of Puddlemere, using the prompts detention, sitting an exam, and ridiculous._


End file.
